New upgraded Fender Amps

olafgarten

Fender have launched new versions of the HRD, BJ and PJ. 

From the description of the new Blues Junior it looks like they have improved the low end which might improve the boxiness of the previous model.

ICBM

Have they also removed its tendency to catch fire?



£609?!! That's getting very silly. And £809 for the Hotrod Deluxe... although that's not so bad, as before. A third more money for three times the amp.

Interesting that the MkIII didn't last long compared to the II. Personally I've never really liked them - it's true that the sensitivity of the volume controls at low settings was improved over the II, but that was the only thing - I actually thought they needed to be turned up *further* to start to sound good, and never sounded quite as good at any volume.

I doubt much can be done with the voicing of the BJ either - it's not so much lack of low-end in the preamp that's the problem, it's the excessively middy, overly-compressed, muddy tone when it's pushed harder.

Babones

A tweed version of the PJ again too.

p90fool

Having had a Blues Jr cabinet for a while which I've tried with three different speakers and four different amps plugged into it, I'd say Fender are totally wasting their time tweaking the tone circuitry to try and improve it. 

Even a JTM 45 into a Classic Lead 80 in that cab sounds horribly like a Blues Jr, so the inescapable conclusion is that the boxiness is caused by the box, funnily enough. 

Make it three inches deeper and they might be getting somewhere. 

StefB

I knew it! http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/122296/namm-speculation-fender-hot-rod-deluxe-deville#latest

Still no switchable reverb though :-( https://www.pmtonline.co.uk/namm-show-2018/namm-amps-pa?manufacturer=12&utm_campaign=289155_Fender_Hot_Rod_IV&utm_medium=email&utm_source=professional_music_technology&dm_i=4EJE,6743,14HTZ3,O7AA,1

ICBM

StefB said:

Still no switchable reverb though :-(

Most players never turn the reverb off, so a bigger footswitch would be an added cost for no real sales benefit - or even the opposite, for many people (including me) a bigger footswitch with an extra button you never want to press accidentally is an irritation.

You can always get a Blues Deluxe if you want switchable reverb. Although they appear to have discontinued it again, there seem to be quite a few left in the shops.

Danny1969

As far as I remember the footswitch works by allowing either one or both polarities of an AC current to return to the amp via diodes in the footswitch so it can only switch 2 things without a redesign I would have thought  .... to switch the channel, more drive and verb on an HRD would require 3    

Does the new HRD have the effects loop ... I REALLY hope so

StefB

ICBM said:

StefB said:

Still no switchable reverb though :-(

Most players never turn the reverb off, so a bigger footswitch would be an added cost for no real sales benefit - or even the opposite, for many people (including me) a bigger footswitch with an extra button you never want to press accidentally is an irritation.

You can always get a Blues Deluxe if you want switchable reverb. Although they appear to have discontinued it again, there seem to be quite a few left in the shops.

I'm not fussed about it being on the footswitch, just an extra relay jack on the panel or the rear would suit.

Fretwired

Pro Junior looks and sounds cool ..

exocet

Danny1969 said:

As far as I remember the footswitch works by allowing either one or both polarities of an AC current to return to the amp via diodes in the footswitch so it can only switch 2 things without a redesign I would have thought  .... to switch the channel, more drive and verb on an HRD would require 3    

Does the new HRD have the effects loop ... I REALLY hope so

Yep, that's how the footswitch works. It has a mono jack so that's the extent of it's capabilities.

ICBM

exocet said:

Yep, that's how the footswitch works. It has a mono jack so that's the extent of it's capabilities.

Actually that Fender switching system can handle up to at least four functions - one of the older solid-state models uses it for channel, boost, reverb and chorus I think - all with one mono cable.

It baffles me why they've gone back to a multi-pin cable system on some of the newer models like the Supersonic - they're less reliable and you need to keep spares of the special cable, which is a nuisance.

StefB said:

I'm not fussed about it being on the footswitch, just an extra relay jack on the panel or the rear would suit.

You could easily do that by making a little insert box for the reverb tank return connection, although it's a bit of a faff.

chromatuna

p90fool said:

Having had a Blues Jr cabinet for a while which I've tried with three different speakers and four different amps plugged into it, I'd say Fender are totally wasting their time tweaking the tone circuitry to try and improve it. 

Even a JTM 45 into a Classic Lead 80 in that cab sounds horribly like a Blues Jr, so the inescapable conclusion is that the boxiness is caused by the box, funnily enough. 

Make it three inches deeper and they might be getting somewhere. 

I have come to a similar conclusion with mine, different speakers, circuit tweaks etc, it's not a bad amp per se, it just never sounds fat if that what you are after, lots of people do like them though. I picked up a Cornell Romany Pro which suits me far better and am resolved now to using a larger and heavier amp to get the sound I prefer 

Does this affect all small combos though or is it something particular about the BJr? I have wondered if it might have something to do with the speaker tucked in the corner rather than being central with more air around it?

p.s. I have also realised that you can pick it amazing amps by British builders used for around the same money you would spend on a mass produced item

Fretwired

That Pro Junior sounds great .... better than the Blues Junior IMHO.

ICBM

Fretwired said:

That Pro Junior sounds great .... better than the Blues Junior IMHO.

Much better. It always has.

Despite only having a single tone control and a smaller speaker it sounds bigger and more open than the Blues Junior.

Fretwired

ICBM said:

Fretwired said:

That Pro Junior sounds great .... better than the Blues Junior IMHO.

Much better. It always has.

Despite only having a single tone control and a smaller speaker it sounds bigger and more open than the Blues Junior.

Totally agree. I owned an aged Tweed one and stupidly sold it .. great little amp. Might get a new one ...

Funkfingers

ICBM said:
Blues Deluxe ... discontinued it again ... there seem to be quite a few left in the shops.

My nearest Fender dealership has one of the "limited edition" tweed-covered ones with the Jensen loudspeaker. The small price differential between this and a regulation black Tolex HRD3 probably explains why the latter is the one that sells.

Fretwired

chromatuna said:

Does this affect all small combos though or is it something particular about the BJr? I have wondered if it might have something to do with the speaker tucked in the corner rather than being central with more air around it?

It depends what the small combo does. The Pro Junior sounds great and it's smaller than the Blues Junior - however it could be argued that its only good at one thing.

I had a Cornford Harlequin which was a 6 watt amp in a full-sized cabinet with a 12 inch speaker. Sounded great ...

There's a guy on YouTube who but a Pro Junior in a bigger cabinet with a 12 inch speaker. Sounds like a different amp.

MattFGBI

Funkfingers said:

ICBM said:
Blues Deluxe ... discontinued it again ... there seem to be quite a few left in the shops.

My nearest Fender dealership has one of the "limited edition" tweed-covered ones with the Jensen loudspeaker. The small price differential between this and a regulation black Tolex HRD3 probably explains why the latter is the one that sells.

The Blues Deluxe is not discontinued. Neither is the lacquered tweed Blues Junior. Those remain unchanged. 

StefB

MattFGBI said:

Funkfingers said:

ICBM said:
Blues Deluxe ... discontinued it again ... there seem to be quite a few left in the shops.

My nearest Fender dealership has one of the "limited edition" tweed-covered ones with the Jensen loudspeaker. The small price differential between this and a regulation black Tolex HRD3 probably explains why the latter is the one that sells.

The Blues Deluxe is not discontinued. Neither is the lacquered tweed Blues Junior. Those remain unchanged. 

Looks like the 4x10 HRD has bitten the dust altogether though?

p90fool

ICBM said:

Fretwired said:

That Pro Junior sounds great .... better than the Blues Junior IMHO.

Much better. It always has.

Despite only having a single tone control and a smaller speaker it sounds bigger and more open than the Blues Junior.

Very true, I loved my first Pro Jr so mail ordered a Blues Jr thinking that with full tone controls, reverb and a 12" speaker it would be my dream amp. 

Um, nope.

Telejester

So the 2018 blues jr comes with the sound less shit upgrades ?